Mediation

Carol Romine – Indianapolis Family Law Mediator

Let Carol Romine help you avoid court through the process of mediation.

While Carol is an expert negotiator and mediator in her own right, there are times when she uses the services of other mediators to help her clients avoid court and divorce with dignity.

When Is Mediation Appropriate? When attorneys are unable to obtain a satisfactory divorce agreement through negotiation, they frequently use the services of a mediator to help them break the impasse and to help them stay out of court. On some occasions, the judge in the case may order the parties to participate in mediation before they can appear for a hearing. Other times, the two attorneys may agree that mediation is in their client’s best interests. They may even agree on the name of a mediator. If the attorneys cannot agree on a mediator, the court will offer a panel of 3 names upon request and each party will strike one name.

What Happens During Mediation? Each attorney will provide the mediator with a confidential statement of the case, in advance, and the mediator will study each statement along with relevant case law or statutes in order to understand the issues before him or her. The parties and their attorneys may or may not be in the same room with the mediator during the mediation process. In either case, the mediator gives each party the opportunity to make an argument as to why they should have the outcome they desire. The mediator is NOT a decision-maker and can only help the parties reach their own agreements.